What Is Homeland Security?

Submitted by Samuel Homes on Tuesday, Oct 8th, 2013

Homeland Security is a term which refers to the collective actions of federal, state, and local governments to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States. Ever since the attacks on September 11, 2001, the US government has led an effort to create a domestic security apparatus. This relies on the support of multiple agencies from various governments in order to effectively prevent terrorists from attacking targets on the homeland. Thousands of employees at various levels help to maintain the infrastructure required for such an undertaking. As such, there is a growing opportunity for those interested in the field of security to pursue careers within both the government and private industry.

The Department of Homeland Security receives billions of dollars in funding from Congress each year in order to oversee the activities of federal, state, and local governments. They are in charge of dividing funds between agencies at all levels to ensure that adequate security exists to protect against attacks. Because of this, homeland security jobs exist almost everywhere, regardless of an individual's location. So people have access to these types of jobs whether they live in the city or even the rural backwoods. Here are a few of the most common ones that are available*:

Immigration

Immigration officers work to make sure that people who are seeking admittance to the United States are doing so under honorable intentions and are not attempting to gain entrance in order to carry out attacks or violence against property and citizens.

Border Patrol

These agents work within their own agency and with other law enforcement personnel to capture citizens who are entering the country illegally, with the goal of successfully detaining them and returning them to their countries of origin. They not only work along the southern and northern borders, but also in conjunction with the United States Coast Guard to secure the waterways and other entrances into the country.

Customs Agent

These agents are tasked with making sure that materials and products entering the country are safe for citizens to use and are not being collected by individuals or groups to be used in attacks against the nation. They typically work at the largest ports of call, where the majority of the imports entering the country arrive for inspection.

Transportation Security Screener

These are specialists who are trained to screen passengers before they board flights or trains within the United States. The screeners are tasked with looking for potential weapons, as well as observing body language and other cues in order to assess the security risks of travelers.

The above mentioned jobs are just a few of the exciting occupations available within the realm of homeland security. Others include IT experts who help to maintain the network infrastructure of our nation, guarding against digital attacks from hostile foreign governments and individuals.* There are also biochemists and scientists who safeguard our nation against the threat of biological attacks. Regardless of which occupation you choose, the jobs in homeland security are only expected to increase in the future as the federal government seeks to increase surveillance on threats both domestic and foreign.

Interested in a job with Homeland Security? Get information about criminal justice careers in your area and online using our criminal justice career finder at the top of this page. ↑